Reign of the Supermen: the four replacements for the Man of Steel after his death

Context: what the death of Superman left behind

To understand Reign of the Supermen, you have to measure the scale of the void created by Kal-El's death. In January 1993, in the "The Death of Superman" arc, Doomsday — a creature genetically programmed to kill — fought Superman to the death in the streets of Metropolis. The two opponents killed each other. Superman died in Lois Lane's arms, before the eyes of the whole world.

It wasn't a quiet death. It was a global event, covered by every media outlet in the DC universe. Metropolis in mourning. The Justice League broken apart. And above all: a power vacuum. Who was going to protect Metropolis? Who was going to take up the torch? These questions didn't leave the void empty for long.

• Publication : Reign of the Supermen begins in June 1993 (after the 'Funeral for a Friend' arc), and runs until October 1993
• Non-linear : each of the four Supermen is introduced in one of the four main series of the time (Superman, Action Comics, Adventures of Superman, Superman: The Man of Steel), giving each character his own narrative space
• The central stakes : which of these four claimants is the true successor? Which one is lying? And is Kal-El really dead?

To relive the event that made this arc necessary, our complete analysis of the death of Superman retraces in detail the fight against Doomsday and its immediate consequences.

Steel — John Henry Irons, the human who wears the emblem

The first of the four Supermen is also the most human: John Henry Irons, a weapons engineer who owes his life to Superman. During an accident, Kal-El had saved him from a fatal fall while telling him "make something of your life". John took those words seriously.

After Superman's death, John Henry Irons forges a steel armor with the S logo on the chest and a war hammer, and takes to the streets of Metropolis to help people. He doesn't claim to be Superman — he pays tribute to the ideal Superman represented:

• No powers : Steel is entirely human. His "superpower" is his engineer's intelligence, his armor and his determination. Among the four claimants, he's the only one without superhuman abilities
• The character's philosophy : Steel represents the idea that Superman isn't about the powers — he's about the choice to put yourself in service of others. Anyone can be Superman if that choice is made
• The public's reception : in the DC universe as among real readers, Steel is immediately perceived as the most morally "legitimate" of the four successors. He doesn't claim the title — he honors the ideal
• Lasting legacy : John Henry Irons remains an active character in the DC universe today, with his own series and regular appearances. He's one of the characters from this arc whose popularity has lasted the longest

Our complete article on Steel retraces the whole history of John Henry Irons, from his origin to his modern adventures.

Superboy — the teenage clone of the Cadmus Project

The second claimant is radically different: Superboy (Kon-El) is a teenage clone created by Project Cadmus from Superman's DNA — at least, that's what Cadmus claims. The genetic truth would be revealed much later: Superboy is actually a clone of Superman and Lex Luthor.

• The attitude : Superboy is exuberant, immature, fascinated by fame. While Steel fights quietly for the people, Superboy does interviews, seeks the spotlight, insists on being called "Superman" and not "Superboy" — a name he hates
• The powers : in his first appearances, Superboy doesn't have the full range of Kryptonian powers. He uses a form of "tactile telekinesis" — a contact-based telekinesis that simulates super-strength and invulnerability. He can't natively fly
• The narrative function : Superboy is the mirror of Superman's public image — the logo, the popularity, the icon. Without the substance. His arc in Reign of the Supermen is one of maturation: he starts as an enthusiastic impostor and ends up understanding what the S really means
• The evolution : Kon-El would become one of the most popular characters in the DC universe, a founding member of Young Justice, and a deeply human character despite his genetic origins

Our complete article on Kon-El explores the whole history of Conner Kent, from his creation by Cadmus to his role in Young Justice.

Check out our Superman figure collection to honor the different incarnations of the Kryptonian legacy — from Kal-El to his successors.

The Eradicator — the Kryptonian machine that wants to purify the mantle

The third claimant is the most alien: The Eradicator is a Kryptonian artifact — an artificial intelligence created by the ancients of Krypton to preserve and "purify" Kryptonian culture. It has taken on a physical body and claims to be the true manifestation of Superman's legacy.

• The philosophy: Krypton above all : the Eradicator believes Superman wasn't Kryptonian enough. He wants to be a "pure" Superman — a guardian of Krypton's heritage, without Kal-El's human compromises. He despises Clark Kent's attachment to humanity
• The powers : the Eradicator has a complete version of the Kryptonian powers, fueled by the yellow sun. He is efficient and brutal — he doesn't hesitate to kill, something the real Superman categorically refused
• The role in the arc : it's the Eradicator who will be closest to Kal-El during the resurrection — he collects Superman's body in the Fortress of Solitude and contributes to his healing. Despite values opposed to Clark's, he plays a key role in the Man of Steel's return
• The philosophical question : the Eradicator raises a central question about Superman — what makes him a hero? His Kryptonian powers or his human values? The arc's answer is clear: it's his human values, passed on by the Kents, that make Kal-El Superman

Cyborg Superman — the greatest deception of the arc

The fourth claimant is the most dangerous — and the most deceptive: Hank Henshaw, the Cyborg Superman, is an astronaut whose body was destroyed in a cosmic accident. His mind, transformed into electromagnetic energy, built a new cybernetic body by incorporating Superman's cells (recovered after his death). He looks exactly like Superman — same face, same voice, same physical appearance.

• The perfect impostor : unlike the other three, Cyborg Superman doesn't claim to be a successor — he claims to be the real Superman, resurrected and partially cybernetic. This claim is believed by the US government, which officially entrusts him with the role of Earth's protector
• The hidden motivation : Henshaw hates Superman. He holds Kal-El responsible for the destruction of his life and the death of his wife in the accident. His entire operation is nothing but a revenge plan on a cosmic scale
• The alliance with Mongul : this is the pivot of the arc. Cyborg Superman allies with Mongul — the tyrant of War World — to use Earth as the base for the new War World. Their first target: Coast City, the city of Green Lantern Hal Jordan

Our complete analysis of Cyborg Superman revisits the story of Hank Henshaw, one of the most complex antagonists in the Man of Steel's universe.

The destruction of Coast City: the arc's turning point

The most traumatic event of Reign of the Supermen doesn't directly concern Superman — but it changes the DC universe permanently. Cyborg Superman and Mongul destroy Coast City to turn it into a planetary forge intended for the new War World.

• The scale : Coast City has seven million inhabitants. Its destruction in an instant is one of the most shocking events in DC Comics history — an urban genocide depicted without ambiguity in the pages of the story
• The impact on Hal Jordan : the destruction of his hometown drives Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) into madness. He becomes Parallax, then the most powerful supervillain in the DC universe for years. The Zero Hour series would stem directly from this event
• The revelation about Cyborg Superman : it's this act that definitively exposes Cyborg Superman's nature. The three other claimants — Steel, Superboy and the Eradicator — join forces to confront him, in a fight that will precede the return of the real Kal-El
• The Metropolis of absence : throughout the arc, Metropolis lives without its original protector. Lois Lane investigates, doubts, refuses to believe Clark is really dead. Our article on Metropolis, Superman's city, revisits what the city means to Kal-El and its inhabitants

The return of the real Superman

Kal-El wasn't dead — he was in a state of apparent death, a Kryptonian process of extreme regeneration. The Eradicator, by carrying his body to the Fortress of Solitude, unknowingly created the ideal conditions for his rebirth:

• The healing in the Fortress : the Fortress's Kryptonian regeneration chamber, combined with the absorption of solar energy, slowly repaired Kal-El's body. The process took months
• The incomplete return : Superman returns weakened, without all his powers and sporting a black costume (the Black Suit). He needs a solar regeneration suit of Kryptonian technology (Fortress/Eradicator) to gradually recharge his Kryptonian abilities
• The black costume : this period sees the introduction of the black-suited Superman, which has become one of the most recognizable designs in the character's history. It symbolizes a Superman under reconstruction — who must rebuild himself before becoming the Man of Steel at full power again
• The final showdown : Superman, still weakened, faces Cyborg Superman and Mongul in what's left of Coast City. Helped by Steel, Superboy and the Eradicator — who sacrifices himself to save him — he manages to defeat the two antagonists
• The return of the blue costume : the arc's final image sees Superman take back his classic blue and red costume, his powers fully restored. The circle is complete

Check out our Superman T-shirt collection to wear the emblem of the one four claimants failed to replace.

The lasting legacy of Reign of the Supermen

Thirty years after its publication, the arc leaves a deep mark on the DC universe:

• Lasting characters : Steel and Superboy/Kon-El have become pillars of the DC universe. Cyborg Superman remains one of the most recurring antagonists in Superman's history — he is never definitively defeated
• The impact on Green Lantern : the destruction of Coast City and the fall of Hal Jordan are events that reshaped the DC universe for decades. Kyle Rayner becomes Green Lantern as a direct consequence of this arc
• The canonical Black Suit : Superman's black costume has since become a massive cultural reference. It appears in the Snyder Cut (Justice League 2021) as a teaser for a sequel never made, and remains one of the most requested Superman designs
• The reflection on heroic identity : the arc raises a philosophical question that remains current — what makes a hero? The powers (Eradicator), the name and image (Superboy), the human commitment (Steel) or the history and values (the real Superman)? The arc's answer leans clearly toward values — but the debate remains open
• Adaptations : the arc was partially adapted in the animated film "Superman: Doomsday" (2007) and referenced in several episodes of DC series. A more faithful adaptation is still awaited by fans

To explore the other great arcs of the Superman universe, our complete guide to Superman comic books lists the must-read stories to pick up after Reign of the Supermen.

Check out our collection of Superman decorations to decorate your spaces with the Man of Steel's emblem — the only one no one could truly wear in his place.

Conclusion

Reign of the Supermen is far more than a story arc about who replaces Superman — it's a meditation on what Superman means. Four claimants, four different visions of the heroic ideal. One embodies the values without the powers (Steel). One embodies the image without the substance (Superboy). One embodies the heritage without the humanity (Eradicator). One embodies nothing but deception (Cyborg Superman). And none is enough. Because Superman is the unique intersection of all of that — power in service of human values, carried by someone who could have owed humanity nothing and yet chose everything. Thirty years later, the question remains: who could really replace him? The arc's answer still holds — no one. To go deeper, our complete history of Superman and our figure collection are waiting for you.

The fourth claimant gets his own feature: our article on the Eradicator retraces how this Kryptonian intelligence made the return of the real Superman possible.